Anybody know where I can get a quality distributor for a 1996 300/6 besides the Ford dealer? I am on my third one from Autocrap and have had enough...

 

What exactly is going wrong with them? After 3 going bad, it's time to start looking at why they're failing.

 

If everything else is fine with the engine, you can probably get a mallory or other brand from summit.com

 

Long story. I just typed a rather long explanation. As I was proofreading The power flickered and POOF! Post gone...

So here is the short version...

When the truck first died it ran great and then just like the ignition was shut off it would die. No drama just off. Truck is well cared for, pristein condition with 91,000 miles. New fuel filter, plugs, cap, rotor, plugs and wires. Fuel pressure is 55 psi. I have dual fuel tanks and problem is the same on either tank so I don't think it is fuel pump related.

TFI failed.

Replaced TFI with Autocrap.

No spark, coil is good.

Must be stator in Distributor, replaced with Autocrap distributor with lifetime warranty.

Still No fire. Have old motorcraft TFI tested. It failed low rpm. Have new Autocrap TFI tested. It failed every test across the board. I hope it didn't toast the computer as TFI appears to be shorted internally.

Tested new Autocrap TFI. Tested good. Truck fires and makes hellashish noises and shakes like a top fuel dragster.

I get distributor number TWO. Everything is going good until I go to screw in the distributor cap. That is when I notice that the hole for the screw has no threads. All nice and smooth inside.... After some cussin, I use a spring clamp to hold on the cap. Get the truck running good and figure I just need another distributor.

Finally get distributor number THREE. The truck now acts like a real high compression engine. Will turn half a crank and then stop and then spin and fire and shimy and shake and miss and run rough as hell. Has trouble moving itself down the road. Battery voltage is good as is alternator output. Throws codes for random misfire and too lean on front bank. The exhaust smells rich.

I have a Scan Guage ll and can watch the timing. It will wander from 10 up to 25 and back down at idle. When you try to drive it jumps all over. Idle rpm is around 750. Idle Vacum is steady at 17. I have had the TFI tested three more times at different places. It still tests good.

Since the stator relays info for fuel injection timing, ignition timing, rpm and spark advance I figured this is where my problem is. I think all the rough running is a combo fuel/spark delivery timing problem. I think that is why it cranks weird. Spark and fuel just dumpin in whenever...

Spoke with an old high school bud the other day. One of his F150's is a 90. He has gone thru 4 sets of Autocrap modules and distributors in a year. One set got him three miles down the road before it craped out...

Any thoughts are welcome... I can't recall having this kinda ongoing trouble with anything in my life... Even if I could get the truck running I am now leary of the Auto crap electronics. I almost exclusively use the F150 to haul a 5000 lb boat. A roadside break down would mean leavin the boat roadside. Almost assured to be victim of theft or vandalism.

 

I would try to find one from summit, or jegs. I runa mallory in my chevy, and havent had a lick of trouble out of it.

 

The local Ford dealer wants $360 for a distributor. I have searched all the performance shops. Performance Distributors for V-8's are plentyful and less expensive than a motorcraft stock unit. Performance six cylinder distributors seem to be non-existent...

 

A DureSpark II or DSII distributor works great when mated w/ the 300 I-6
I run one on mine w/ a MSD 6A box.

 

Have you pulled codes at all? Trying to figure out why a module would go that quickly, unless there's something causing it (too much heat, water, etc.) - or if the wires / distributor are off. Weird.

 

Performance Distributors - High Performance and Racing Ignition Systems

Duraspark_distributor_recurve_instructions_index They sell them for about $135 +

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech...iagnostic.html TFI troubleshooting list can be found there.